The Princess and The Dove
by Casa Circe
Summary: Folken/Eries. A strange twist on traditional fairy tales intertwined with the complex relationship between a fallen prince and a solemn princess. Happy Valentine's Day!


The Princess and the Dove

DISCLAIMER: "The Vision of Escaflowne" is not and never will be mine. Otherwise, Folken and Eries would have been together.

_NOTE: My Valentine's Day special for my favorite pairing in this series. This is my take on fitting Folken and Eries into a funny little fairy tale influenced by a peculiar mixture of many other such stories. It's a crack fic at best and full of my usual whimsical weirdness. The title itself should be a dead give away to how things are going to play out. I hope you enjoy this nevertheless._

_Completed at last. Again, very cheesy and unusual but I hope still amusing. _

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"_This is not yet the end, my son."_

Folken Fanel had not been surprised to have a vision of his mother in what he thought were the final moments of his life. What had shocked him was her declaration that he was not yet about to die. He had killed Emperor Dornkirk with a powerful stroke that also resulted in a blade bouncing back to injure him. Though there were so many things he regretted to leave in his life, he had somehow accepted that this was how things were going to end for him. He had not sustained any hopes ever since his wings had turned black.

The resplendent figure of Varie Fanel smiled gently at her eldest son, understanding his puzzlement.

"You have been too hard on yourself. There is still a path of redemption open to you, though it is quite unusual. It won't be an easy journey, but when you emerge, you will finally be free."

And with these enigmatic words, the vision of the Draconian lady shone brighter than ever. Folken had the strange sensation of his wings coming apart and in the next few incomprehensible moments, he felt himself drowning in a sea of black feathers.

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Princess Eries didn't know what had driven her to that spot of the palace gardens at that particular moment. With the war raging outside and numerous responsibilities that needed to be fulfilled, this was hardly the right time for a leisurely stroll. Her head was full of urgent concerns and a growing sense of dread about the future.

Then, there was the horrible news she had just received about Lord Folken's death. No body had been recovered and nothing was certain but she was still devastated. For the past few weeks, Folken and the princess had developed a friendship deeper than either of them had expected and she despaired for it to end so soon and suddenly. She didn't want to think on it; she needed to escape, to breathe some air.

Eries glanced around her at the serenity of nature in a place untouched by the ravages of man-made war and conflict. She sighed, trying to absorb some of the tranquility and trying to gain strength from the simple beauty of the garden. Maybe this sudden visit was worthwhile, after all.

But as she turned to leave, her attention was caught by a small, twitching figure at one corner of the garden. Rushing to take a look at it, she gasped as she set her eyes on an injured raven.

Princess Eries wasn't particularly fond of animals and never kept any pets. But the moment she saw the bleeding bird, she had an uncontrollable urge to take care of it. The very sight of another creature in pain amidst all the accounts of casualties and the news of her friend's death was more than her grieving heart could bear. Something stirred in her heart that she could not understand but she also had no power to refuse.

"Oh, you poor thing," she lamented earnestly.

Carefully looking at it, she saw that the raven was still alive, and as gently as she could, she picked it up and carried it to the palace where she intended to care for it as lovingly as she could.

"Don't worry," she whispered to the bird, "I'll take care of you."

So engrossed was she in gently carrying the small, soft creature that she did not notice a tear fall from her cheek and form a small splash of white in one of the black wings.

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Folken blinked as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. So far, everything was still a blur, but he was fairly certain that he was still alive and that he was no longer in the dark bowels of Zaibach. Some of the architecture was familiar and he guessed that he must be somewhere back in Asturia, even possibly the palace.

He winced audibly and realized that he was gravely injured. But as he blinked again, he noticed that proportions seemed to have changed. At first he attributed this visual discrepancy to his injury but after a while, he was certain that everything was larger than he remembered. He was in one of the palace rooms but not one that he had been in before. It was richly but tastefully furnished and was very elegant. But everything was so much bigger than him.

Folken struggled to stand up when he finally noticed, with wide eyes, that he was not himself anymore.

"I can't believe this," he thought as he gazed upon his small, feathery body. Instead of the mechanical arm he had grown accustomed to over the years, he now saw a natural, albeit broken, black wing.

And though he tried to cry out, only caws came out of what he now knew to be his beak. His transformation had been complete, indeed.

After a few moments of taking in his new circumstances, Folken sighed in resignation. His mother did say that the path of redemption would be unusual. And all things considered, he was still lucky to be alive, even in a different form. Fate wasn't cruel but she certainly did have a sense of humor.

His reverie was interrupted by someone's arrival. Folken turned to see who had entered the room and saw with surprise that it was Princess Eries. Again, he felt the difference of proportion since she seemed to be a giantess towering before him. But she looked as tired and kind as ever, and he was very happy to see her.

So happy, in fact, that he momentarily forgot his condition and tried to say her name out loud. The only sound he managed to make, however, was a strained squawking noise. But she heard him and approached him immediately, her face full of concern.

"Don't be afraid," she reassured him, "I won't hurt you."

"I'm sure you won't", Folken thought silently, deploring the fact that he could not communicate with her properly. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much that he now understood. But he would not be able to convey these feelings now.

So he was silent and watched her as she carefully and gently tended to his broken wing, bandaging it and washing and wiping off all the blood from his body. He was grateful for her concern and for her attention, not knowing what he could have done to deserve such kindness.

But then again, she had always been kind and sympathetic. Even in his darkest hours, she saw right through him. She had also been among the first to forgive him for all that he had done.

And now, she was unaware that it was he who possessed the body of a bird, and she was still taking care of him. He was filled with gratitude and awe at the woman before him.

The princess placed him in a comfortable place near her bed, with soft white cloths to serve as a makeshift nest. Folken wished he could thank her or somehow let her know that it was him. But there was no way to do that yet.

"I must leave you now," she told her new friend, "there are some things I need to attend to at present, but I will return as soon as I can. Please get some rest in the meantime."

She addresses me like she does a person, Folken thought, does she sense my presence?

Princess Eries smiled and left the room with so many questions unanswered.

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Days passed and Princess Eries' little patient recovered his strength little by little. His wing was soon healed, and he was soon able to fly again. The princess watched his progress gladly, finding joy in the simplest of events. Later on she was amazed to find out that her friend was not a raven after all but a dove. For as his injuries healed, the bird also shed his black feathers which were replaced by pure, white ones. Eries had been fascinated by this and was further convinced that this creature was not thrown into her path by chance.

Though she had always enjoyed her solitude, she cherished the presence of her new friend and was grateful to have some sort of companion in such busy times. The war was over but there was still much to do to restore the kingdom and to take charge of her father's many responsibilities.

She could have easily relegated the task of taking care of the dove to a servant but there was nothing done for the dove that Eries did not do herself. She made special efforts to nurture and strengthen her newfound companion and never once thought to cage him.

"You are free to leave whenever you please," she told him once he was healed, "but I would like it very much if you stayed and kept me company even for a little while longer."

And Eries imagined that the dove had nodded and chirped in approval. She had smiled brightly at such a response and stroked the bird's head affectionately. She had never kept any pets and did not consider the dove one. He was more a friend to her than anything else and she would often speak to him of what she was doing and how she was feeling.

Seven months had passed since she had rescued him and he had long been fully recovered. But he had never left her, and she still did not know why he remained at her side. Eries was grateful for the dove's loyalty and cherished his attention especially when she was in somber moods.

The princess felt strange at first to be baring her heart to a dove, but she felt such comfort at having a confidant that she was soon more at ease with her friend. She did not give him a name because she thought that it would be demeaning for he surely already had a name though she did not know it.

Strangely enough, the usually reserved princess revealed more of her true feelings to her avian companion than to anyone else. All of the doubts and fears she harbored about the future and about herself, as well as every little joy or triumph she experienced were known to the dove. She trusted him completely, as she had only ever trusted one person.

For his part, Folken was honored to be privy to all the princess' thoughts and secrets though he also felt slightly guilty at knowing so much about her without her knowing about him. But the more time he spent with her, the more he understood her, and the more he loved her.

For he had realized earlier on that he had fallen in love with Eries long before his supposed death and that he had always despaired at not having the opportunity to pursue anything with her because of the limit imposed by his black wings. He had regretted leaving her but not known of any other option. He had seen that she might be returning his feelings but he could not, in good conscience, encourage her because he knew that he would only cause her pain.

And he saw that she did suffer from his loss, and that time did not lessen her grief. She loved him too, and he felt all the more honored now that he knew how much. He wanted desperately to let her know that he was there, that she was not as alone as she believed herself to be.

Folken saw his current predicament as both a blessing and a curse. He was glad and grateful to be given the chance to be with someone he loved so dearly and yet, he hated that he could not let her know that he was there, and could not tell her how much he loved her. They were always together, and yet she did not know it.

As deserving as he felt of punishment for all his crimes, seeing her everyday but not being able to speak to her or truly comfort her was a new kind of torture for him.

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The oddest experience for Folken was listening to Eries speak of him, all the while not knowing she was speaking _to _him.

"Even after all this time," she confided to him one day, "I still cannot believe, I still refuse to believe that he is really gone. They never found his body and even his brother never fully confirmed the reports."

The dove perked his head up attentively and seemed extremely interested in what she had to say. She saw this as sufficient encouragement and she allowed the floodgates of memories and emotions to be opened, even for just a short while.

"We shared so much in common," she said, "and though I did not always approve of his methods, I understood the principles behind them. He always seemed so sad and lonely, almost lost."

Folken listened to her with mixed emotions. How he felt at listening to her talking about him was unimaginable. But he listened, because that was all that he could do.

"I don't know what I was to him then," Eries continued, "but I know that he meant the world to me. And he still does."

_You were everything to me then, _Folken replied silently, _just like you are everything to me now._

"He may never think of me but I am always thinking of him," she said sadly.

Tears began to flow down Eries' cheeks though she had been struggling to suppress them. Folken longed to wipe those tears away but knew that to flap his wing at her would not send the right message. So he sat in helpless agony as she allowed herself to weep.

"I know I must be a fool to keep clinging to some hope that he is still alive and out there somewhere," Eries said tearfully, "and wherever he is, I hope that he is well."

It was all so painfully ironic. And never had Folken's desire to be human again been as great as it was at that moment.

_I am here, dear Princess Eries, _he longed to shout, _I am here! I have never left you! I will never leave you! If only you knew…_

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A year passed and Eries found herself on the way to Fanelia for a short visit. She could not avoid this duty to build diplomatic ties with Van Fanel and to pay her respects. And though she still refused to believe that Folken was dead, she was eager to see his homeland.

For some strange reason, the dove decided to accompany her on this trip and he was now perched on her shoulder as she gazed in awe at the verdant country as it came into view on the ship.

"This is a strange homecoming," Folken thought as he found himself back in his native land after so long.

He was glad to see that the war (and his foolish actions) had not completely destroyed his beloved country. It had recovered much of its beauty in such a short time. Even the air he breathed in Fanelia seemed more refreshing than that of Asturia. He felt more invigorated than he had felt in years, and he sensed that something very momentous would come of this trip.

He had given up waiting and wishing to regain his human form months ago. But all of a sudden, there was a flicker of hope in his heart, as he arrived at the land of his ancestors, where once he had left in disgrace, he was returning to seek redemption.

While Eries took care of all her official duties, the dove would find a perch nearby and wait for her discreetly. No one really paid heed to the small white figure, but Eries was always aware and comforted by his presence. Van had given the dove a brief, suspicious glance but quickly dismissed any peculiar notion he had about it.

When all her responsibilities had been fulfilled, Eries was free to wander the grounds at her leisure. And though she had been hoping to avoid it, she found herself standing at the grave erected for Folken. The dove hovered nearby before settling on her shoulder, almost reassuringly.

"This is ridiculous," Eries said, though she could not stop a tear from rolling down her cheek, "even here, I cannot bring myself to accept what they have said."

_Because in your heart you know the truth, _the dove thought_, you've always known it even if you never understood how._

"This is nothing but an empty grave," Eries declared defiantly, "made in memory of one whom I shall continue to wait for."

At this, the dove suddenly grew restless and began flapping its wings frantically. The bird flew from her shoulder and kept flitting back and forth in a frenzied manner. Eries watched it in confusion, trying to understand the message he was trying to convey.

"What's the matter?" Eries asked in concern, and the dove briefly landed on her outstretched arm. But the bird's head kept turning away from her to look around restlessly.

Eries' expression softened.

"I see," she said sadly, "perhaps now is the time for us to part. You have been very loyal to me and I have treasured your companionship. But now that you desire your freedom, who am I to keep you tied down forever?"

The dove still looked about restlessly and Eries took this to be a confirmation of what she had just said. Reluctantly but resolutely the princess raised her hand to the sky.

"Go!" she told the dove, "You may leave me now!"

And sure enough, the bird took flight and soared towards the sun and away from the princess.

Eries turned her back, unable to watch her friend leave her. She could not hold back some tears as she realized that she was alone once again. But as she wept, she heard the voice of one whom she never expected.

"You are mistaken, my dear Princess Eries, if you think I am ever going to leave you."

Eries' eyes widened incredulously. She recognized that voice! She could never forget it! But was this real? Or was she merely hallucinating? At that moment, she could not trust herself.

"Look at me, Eries."

This time, she had to know if it was real. Slowly, fearfully, hopefully, she turned her head and what she saw left her momentarily speechless.

There was the dove hovering before her but engulfed in an almost blinding flash of light. The dove had spoken to her; she knew it somehow.

And then, the bird closed its two white wings around itself and these wings grew larger and larger until they spread open once more revealing a tall figure, clad all in white, and with his old arm restored. He seemed almost as surprised as she and he looked at his body in wonder, also trying to see if it was real.

Folken.

She was too shocked, too glad, too befuddled with emotion to say his name out loud but she knew it, and her heart seemed to remind her. Her tears continued to flow from wide eyes and she was struggling to control her shaking. She brought her hands to her mouth and shook her head to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

He smiled at her now and extended a hand towards her. Though she still trembled, she managed to take it and he held on tightly. Just to be able to touch her now gave him a glorious feeling.

"All this time?" she asked breathlessly.

He nodded, and she gasped, the memories of the past year all flooding back. But she could hardly be embarrassed about anything now, about what she had said or done. She was just grateful, and so very happy. She had always known that he was alive, but she never could have imagined this.

Folken steadied her, holding her shoulders with both his hands. The firmness of his touch assured her that all this was no illusion.

"But how…?" she was slowly regaining her powers of speech. She gazed at him in wonder.

Folken shook his head and then pulled her into his arms. She leaned into him and returned the embrace.

"I can't explain it either," he replied warmly, "but all I know is that I'm with you now and there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"Good," Eries answered with a smile, "because that is just how it ought to be."

Folken laughed and held her face in his hands lovingly.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this," he told her, as he leaned closer.

"I think I can guess," she said with another smile as she closed the distance between them and met his lips with hers.

A very unusual chapter had been closed and another story was about to begin.


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